The technical field of this invention is medical instrumentation and, in particular, methods and apparatus for sterilizing medical instrument lumens.
Endoscopic instruments are complex and expensive medical devices, which permit the clinician to view the internal organs and structures of a patient's body. These instruments are typically reused and, therefore, must be sterilized after each use. Moreover, because many endoscopes are used repeatedly throughout a day, sterilization of the instruments must be performed rapidly in busy clinics.
Conventionally, endoscopes are sterilized using a chemical bath. The internal lumens of the instrument will either be soaked in a sterilizing liquid or flushed with the sterilizing liquid.
Unfortunately, conventional techniques can sometimes be less than totally effective. The sterilizing liquid may not penetrate the entire lumen or may not be sufficiently strong to achieve the desired antimicrobial effect. Moreover, the endoscope lumen may have accumulated cellular debris that cannot be simply flushed out and such debris may harbor microbes that are not destroyed in the cleaning process.
Accordingly, there exists a need for better methods and devices for sterilizing the inner lumens of endoscopic instruments. Methods and devices which could ensure more effective anti-microbial action and/or permit more rapid sterilization of instrument lumens, would satisfy a long-felt need in the art.